Adaptable jaws plier



Dec. 31, J w NQWAK ADAPTABLE JAWS PLIER Filed Feb. 23, 1956 INVENTORMai-7w W NOW/AK United States Patent This invention.relateslto pliers of a type presenting two jaws carried on pivoted handles and operatingtoclamp any part, for example, afnut that is being screwed down ona boltor the like. i

An object of the invention is'to provide a'pl er such as referred to,withmeans operating when pressure on the handles is relaxed, to open thejaws automatically. Thisenables a machinistiholding;the-plier to shiftthe plier toa secondposition, oriented with respect to the axis'of thenut, and appliedto another pair of opposite faces of the nut to rotateit again through the "same angle asbefore- I. t A.

This modeof'operation"enablesa nut to be rotated quickly to its seatwith anaction simulating -theratchet'- ing movement' that' can' be'obtained with a ratchetand-pawl-assembly often "used in machine shoppractice.

Another object of this invention is to'provide means between thehandle-members of the plier to enable the relation of the spring to thehandle members to be altered as desired to regulate the force that thespring will exert in the direction to increase the sp'ace between thejaws of the plier.-

-'-Another object of -the invention isto provide, means for clamping"the relatively movable jawagainst a part, e." g."a nut'held inthe-plierw This facilitycan function independently of therelativeposition of the handlemembersm This involves theuse of aset-screw or similarly threaded device that is mounted in an abutment(projecting from the relatively fixed jaw of the plier. The threadeddevice is: mounted preferably so that its axis extends' substantiallyparallel tothelongitudinal axi-s of the relatively fixed jaw, and one ofthe objects. of the invention is to provide meansassociated-withthe'head of thesetscrew to facilitate its-rotation whilepresenting opportunity to employ a lever on the set-screw.

Further objects of the invention will be evident from a careful readingof the specification and study of the accompanying drawing.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combinations of parts tobe described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce anefficient adaptable jaws plier.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a plier embodying my invention, portionsof which are broken away to disclose preferred details of the invention.

Figure 2 is an end view of the jaws of the plier. This view is brokenaway, and is projected on a plane disposed substantially at right anglesto the longitudinal axis of the relatively fixed handle-member of thetool.

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an edge elevation of the end of a flexion spring that Iprefer to employ between the handle mem- 2,817,989 Patented Dec. 31,1957 bers of the tool; this view illustrates the preferred shape of theend of this flat spring that co-operates with a series of means such assockets in the adjacent face or edge of the relatively fixedhandle-member when desirable to change the position of its connection tothe spring, to obtaingreater or less expansion of jaws.

The plier illustrated and embodying my invention, includes two .leverform handle-members 1 and'2. The former carrying the relatively fixedjaw 3. While this jaw can be integral with the handle member1, l preferto form it on a sleeve4 which operates as a guide for the shank 5 of therelatively movable jaw 6. This sleeve is of rectangular cross-section. IP

The jaws are preferably disposed in an inclined position with respectto'th'elongitudinal axis of the handlemember 1. p 7

Means is provided for securing the sleeve 4 to the handle-member 1, andat the same time forcibly tightening the jaw 6 against any part that isheld between the jaws. For this purpose it is preferable to provide aset-screw 7, which may be mounted in an integral abutment 8 on the jaw3,that presents a face 9 disposed substantially at rightangles to thedirection in which the jaw 3 extends to facilitate tapping a holethrough it for the set-screw. This'set screw has a tapered tip 10 thatcan be received in any one of a series of notches 11 in the adjacentedge of the shank 5, after passing through the handle-member 1 e 1 Bytightening up the set-screw its tapered tip 10 may project intoany one"of the notches 11, each having an inclined face and an abrupt face, asshown, to conform to the shape of the tip 10. Of course, when theset-screw is not-being used for this-purpose it must be adjusted back tohold its tip clear of the side of the shank.

- In order to facilitate-tightening the set-screwit preferably has acapstan type head 12 with a plurality of small sockets 13 spaced aroundin its side, any one of which mayreceivethe end offa smallremovablehandle bar or pin 14. that can be applied to any oneof the sockets thatwill permit rotation of the pin through an arc on the side of the setscrew, remote from the jaw 3.

This pin l4 gives a considerable leverage in tightening the set-screw.and although this pin is shown in place fornrotating the set screw, itshould be said that when the pliersare .in use.it will be kept-in aconvenient place.

The end 15 of the shank 5 projects beyond the-adja cent edgeor end' of.the sleeve-4 at which point the forwardfend of theehandle-member 2'is-secured by means of a machine screw 16 which operates as a pivot ofrotation for this handle member, and as a stop against 7 the sleeve 4 tolimit the forward movement of the shank 5.

As shown in Figure 1, the handle-members diverge from each other towardtheir rear ends. In this angle between them I provide resilient meanspreferably in the form of a flexion spring 17 that exerts a force in thedirection indicated by the arrow 18 adjacent the end of thehandle-member 1; and this force, when pressure is relaxed upon thehandle-members, indicated at the arrows 19, eifects movement of theshank end 15 and the pivot 16 toward the sleeve 4. This will move thejaw forward and shift the jaw 6 away from any piece, such as a nut 20,that may be held between the jaws of the plier. This feature enables aperson using the plier to attain an effect that simulates a ratchetingefifect, by relaxing the grip of his hands on the two handle-members.This will cause the jaws to move slightly apart so that they are notgripping the piece or nut, as when rotating it, on its axis. As soon asthe jaws are freed in this way, the operator of the plier simply slipsthe jaws over two other opposite faces of the nut, then tightens hisgrip as he swings the plier on the axis of the nut. Evidently, thisfaculty of the plier can be utilized to screw a headless stud into itsthreaded socket.

Another feature in the mode of operation of this plier is that, pullingthe handle-member 2 toward the handle member 1 at the same time grippingforce is applied to the handles insures that a considerable turningmoment can be exerted by the jaws on the piece that is clamped.

This capability of the plier results by reason of the fact that theupper and outer end portion 21 of the spring 17 has its concave sidedisposed toward the handlemember 2.

This reaction of the spring is accomplished because of the way in whichthe forward end portion 22 of the spring is attached to the handlemember 1.

This is effected preferably by providing a series of sockets 23 in theupper face or edge of the handle member 1, and by forming these socketswith relatively narrow throats 24 through which a rigid shank portion 25of the spring is inserted. This shank portion 25 is preferably disposedat an obtuse angle or bend at 26 with respect to the body portion of thespring; and stiffening the shank by forming a return bend 27 at itsextreme end so as to double the thickness of metal at this location,with the extreme end portion 28 overlying the body.

By having a series of these sockets 23 the action of the spring may bealtered, as also will be the distance between the adjacent faces of thejaw 3 and 6 when the pliers parts are in their position of rest. Themaximum possible opening of the jaws would be attained with the shank 25in the foremost socket 23a, and in the position of rest of the plier thepivot head 16 would be held up against the adjacent end of the sleeve 4.

While sockets similar to the sockets 23 could be placed in thehandle-member 2, instead of the handle-member 1, I prefer to place themin approximately the position shown on the handle-member 1, as shown onthe drawing.

If desired, the weight of the handle members may be reduced by givingthem the flanged type of cross-section or channelform whenever this formwill not interfere with other features of the tool.

The outer end 21 of the spring 17 is bent so as to lie flat against theinner face of the handle-member 2, to which it is attached with rivets21a.

In order to provide an additional guide and reinforcement for the jaw 6,I provide a slot 29 passing through the jaw 6, and form a blade-likeextension 30 on the end of the handle-member that fits into this slot.This should be a neat machine fit, however, in order to obtain a bracingeffect.

Many other embodiments of this invention may be re sorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

I. In a plier, the combination of a first handle member, a laterallyextending first jaw supported thereon adjacent its forward end, a secondjaw opposed to the first jaw and guided to slide on said first handlemember, said jaws having cooperating faces for holding a nut or the likebetween the same; a second handle member pivotally connected to thesecond jaw, said handle members having diverging end portions operating,when pressed on their outer sides to clamp such nut for rotating thesame on its thread, and a spring link between the handle members andhaving one end secured to the first handle member intermediate its endsand its other end secured to the second handle member adjacent its freeend, said link exerting its force in a direction to separate said handlemembers, thereby enabling the relaxing of the pressure on the handlemembers to facilitate the operator's applying the jaws in a differentposition for imparting a second rotation to the nut.

2. A plier according to claim 1, in which the second jaw includes aguide slot, and one end of the first handle member includes a tongueextending through said slot in the second jaw for bracing the same.

3. A plier according to claim 1, including socket means on one handlemember and facing the other handle member, said socket means including aseries of individual sockets disposed along said one handle member, andin which an end of the spring adjacent the sockets is bent back uponitself to form a tongue to be received in any one of the sockets.

4. A plier according to claim 1, including means for securing the firstjaw to the first named handle-member, said securing means comprising aset-screw carried by the first jaw and passing through the first handlemember, and a plurality of sockets co-operating with the set-screw andformed in the shank of the second jaw to co-operate individually withthe set-screw.

5. A plier according to claim 4, in which the first jaw has a lateralabutment carrying said set-screw; the setscrew having a capstan typehead with a plurality of sockets in its periphery, a removable bar typedriving handle for the set-screw, and said removable handle having a tipselectively of fitting said head sockets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,636,318 Owens July 19, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS 81,261 Switzerland May 16,1919 504,450 France Apr. 15, I920

